SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

ImmortalSix

John Mayer's Mankini
Any design recommendations you'd like to submit?

I'll be designing it from scratch - starting with a blank page and a pencil.

Anything goes.

Hit me with any recommendations you have for a baritone - or just a guitar in general (some things are the same for all guitars - pickups, knobs, switching, etc.)

As this project progresses, we will hold votes and such, and the most loved features will make it to the final product and the bad ideas won't.

It will truly be a SDUGF designed guitar, designed by us all.

It will be fun to see what we as a group can come up with - then I'll build it and we can all look at it and say ooooh!

Cliff's: I'm crowdsourcing a bari design. You design it, I'll build it.
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Clarification: this will be a "half-build," meaning I will most likely get the neck built by someone else. You can still make neck recommendations, though; I have to provide specs to the neck builder.

I will be making the body from a slab of whatever wood we decide.

I reserve the right of veto power, since I'm buying everything and building it. As in, temper your recommendations with reasonability - I don't want to hear "cut it out of marble and put Zephyr Silvers in it!"
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Go faster stripes and macaroni art. This is all I care about.
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Did you ever get that other guitar finished?

Pickups- 3 strat sized single coil, but the bridge non angled. Maybe jaguar pickups for some jangle.

Mahogany body with maple/maple neck

No pickguard. Hardtail strat bridge. Master volume, 3 tones (no load pots), Individual on/off switches.
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Flying V
Maple body
String-thru
Bucker bridge, P90 neck


I'm undecided on the neck specs.
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

I'm a fan of limba as a body wood, either white or black depending on finish (black limba looks great with a clear finish, IMO). It's deep and rich like mahogany but with a bit more "air" in the highs. I think that could be cool for a baritone.

I like ex-250's pickup idea - P90 neck/humbucker bridge.
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Definitely Dimarzio pups.
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Do a stratish Telecaster, I mean Tele shape, but with the tummy tuck and forearm cut with a pickguard and some crazy pickup conf, like Tvjones-SingleCoil-TvJones. With just one vol for both Tv Jones and one vol and tone for the single coil.

my 2 cents
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

I was thinking more of a Jag / Jazz shape - offset waist. Seems natural for a bari.

Body wood is a serious consideration. I want it to punch you in the gut, but I don't want it to be muddy.

Finish will be fun to discuss :laughing: we all seem to have completely different preferences. I think an oil finish over a good looking wood could be cool because it would resonate like a bell and shake your booty for you.

Pickups - looking forward to these discussions too - all have their merits and weaknesses. I want it to be fat, though, not plunky. I like the P90 recommendation. Anyone have an idea of what a mini-humbucker would sound like?

I like Eric's idea of master volume and individual tones, although a Les Paul style (everybody gets their own volume and tone!) setup could be great too. Lots of fun to be had in the control complement. (P.S. Eric, that guitar is not done yet, but it's all routed, just need to sand and paint)
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Oh yeah forgot the woods, I think swamp ash would be killer, since baritones usually are tunned down at least one step, I think going to a bright wood is the best option
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Oh yeah forgot the woods, I think swamp ash would be killer, since baritones usually are tunned down at least one step, I think going to a bright wood is the best option

I haven't been able to figure out if a bright wood would make it sound plunky, or if it would smooth it out.

In my experience, putting "bright" pickups in a bright guitar actually sounds better than matching the bright guitar with warmer pickups - I have no idea why, but it's true, in my experience.

Applying that to woods - for a low-register axe, would a warm and punchy wood like mahogany be perfect, or would you want the high end snap and cut of ash, or even maple?
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

I was going to suggest a "funky" body (Jaguar or maybe Firebird or Non-reverse Firebird) and a trio couple of Firebird Mini HBs. Or maybe you could do three minis and some crazy Brian May-type switching. You could apply the same suggestion to a trio of P90s as well.

Maple neck/fret board. Maybe even a maple body! I don't know so much about that though.
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

3 Pickups - single, P90 and a humbucker
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

I haven't been able to figure out if a bright wood would make it sound plunky, or if it would smooth it out.

In my experience, putting "bright" pickups in a bright guitar actually sounds better than matching the bright guitar with warmer pickups - I have no idea why, but it's true, in my experience.

Applying that to woods - for a low-register axe, would a warm and punchy wood like mahogany be perfect, or would you want the high end snap and cut of ash, or even maple?

Perhaps taking a close look at tonewoods commonly used in the building of bass guitars might prove helpful in determining the industry's general opinion on the matter.

I'd be more precise and helpful but unfortunately I know absolutely dick all about basses. :dunno:

Also, I agree with your findings regarding the tactic of matching a bright guitar with a bright pup. I've been gradually finding this out, as well. It doesn't always get me the sound I thought I wanted, but it's usually a surprisingly pleasing sound.
 
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Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Will it have to be bolt on? What type of tune are you planning on playing on it?
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

What about adding a P90, mini humbucker and an EMG active pickups.
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Will it have to be bolt on? What type of tune are you planning on playing on it?
I t will have to be bolt on, because of limitations of both my skills and my tools.

I don't know :laughing:

Here's a cool use of a baritone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVyxRNc_gTs&feature=player_detailpage#t=232s

I listen to a lot of country music, and there is baritone guitar all over those recordings. Just seems like it would be fun for me - I do a lot of recording, and I love low end.
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Any design recommendations you'd like to submit?

I'll be designing it from scratch - starting with a blank page and a pencil.

Anything goes.

Hit me with any recommendations you have for a baritone - or just a guitar in general (some things are the same for all guitars - pickups, knobs, switching, etc.)

As this project progresses, we will hold votes and such, and the most loved features will make it to the final product and the bad ideas won't.

It will truly be a SDUGF designed guitar, designed by us all.

It will be fun to see what we as a group can come up with - then I'll build it and we can all look at it and say ooooh!

Cliff's: I'm crowdsourcing a bari design. You design it, I'll build it.

Interesting..... I just ordered a Baritone Acoustic. An Alvarez Yari YB1. Should be here sometime next week. I was reluctant to ordering online but these are so hard to find I decided to pull the trigger.

http://www.alvarezgtr.com/prod_page.php?SeriesID=8&ItemID=141
 
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Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

Interesting..... I just ordered a Baritone Acoustic. An Alvarez Yari YB1. Should be here sometime next week. I was reluctant to ordering online but these are so hard to find I decided to pull the trigger.

Awesome - every Yairi I've ever held played remarkably well

I think baritones are cool, and I need to do more guitar builds to get my skills up, so here we are!
 
Re: SDUGF designed baritone build - YOU design it, I'll build it

I agree with the offset body shape, but more on the jag side than firebird side.

A longer top horn will help the guitar to balance better, considering the longer neck/extra wood mass. I would stick with a 3+3 headstock though, maybe even with mini tuners, to absolutely minimize the possibility for neck-diving

something like a skewed PRS body shape could look sweet. but the fender off set body styles could also work.

Just as long as it looks tits mcgee and doesn't have a plethora of pickguard pieces and switches everywhere fuglying it all up.
 
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